Cliff checks in on the MVP races over at SI.com. Leading the AL? That man Morneau:
Last year, Joe Mauer led the American League in all three slash-stat categories (batting average/on-base percentage/slugging), led the majors in the first two and was a nearly unanimous selection for AL MVP. On Sunday morning, Mauer’s teammate Morneau was leading the AL in all three slash stats and the majors in the first two (Miguel Cabrera passed Morneau in slugging on Sunday). Morneau plays a position with a much higher average level of production and isn’t as highly regarded defensively as Mauer even there, but the slash-stat triple crown should be enough to guarantee a hitter the MVP award. To put the accomplishment in context: Mauer was the first American Leaguer to accomplish the feat since George Brett in 1980; only four NL hitters have pulled it off since Stan Musial did it in 1948, the most recent being Barry Bonds in 2004. I’d be surprised to see Morneau regain and maintain the lead in all three categories, but given how close he is to that accomplishment at this point in the season, he has to be the favorite for AL MVP.
After 2006 and 2008, I enter every season assuming that Morneau is the favorite regardless, so this can only help him.
[1] Yeah, that's sort of what I said about him in my previous MVP column three weeks ago:
I like how you're tracking these races, Cliff. Good stuff.
I love that Cano's still in the discussion, running with the AL big dogs.
Guess what I entered, and just got picked to participate in:
http://www.espnzone.com/sportsspellingbee/
Looks like I'm gonna have to bone up in the next 3 days ....
BRONCO NUGURSKI!
You GO DEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[5]
Psst .... nAgurski. :-)
Gammons just told Francesa he thinks the Yankees are in the best position to get Lee from Seattle (with Romine being the centerpiece)
I think I just swallowed my own tongue
[7]
you believe Gammons when it comes to the Yankees?
[8] a boy can dream, can't he?
he didn't say it would happen or anything. Just that if Seattle decides to move him and the Yankees made Romine available, that could be what the M's would want for him. But he did also note what everyone else knows which is the Yankees could always stand pat, go get a lesser (but still decent) arm, then throw money at him in November.
[8] [9] It's a kind of "admission against interest" thing. You don't believe Gammons when he says the Sox are underrated, or that the Yankees are injury prone, or anything like that, but when he says something favorable you take notice.
Except that he's also deteriorating mentally, so probably we should think of his opinions as approximately as valuable as the opinions of Random Guy Phoning Talk Radio. Or, mine, come to think of it.
As long as Cashman doesn't trade for a relief pitcher, I'll be happy.
We have lost some good youngsters over the last 2 years, including Tabata, IPK and AJax. As tempting as Lee is, considering the expensive long term contracts on the books and Jeters next contract, this team needs to have some cheap labor.
One of the reasons I am pro-Gardner is not how good he is, but how cheap he is. While Cashman is stocking the BP inhouse, we still need to field a few position players from the farm.
Also, if Cashman does get Lee I think that pretty much says the Yankees have given up on Joba as a starter.
Also, if Cashman does get Lee I think that pretty much says the Yankees have given up on Joba as a starter.
That isn't necessarily true, but it's consistent with the way the Yanks have operated over the years.